Stop Me
by Inufan078
Summary: I could always see it, we all could. His mindset wasn't the same, it was what left two of our friends and fellow comrades to leave, however I couldn't leave him I had to keep him stable. Though could I stop him in time? Could I help... Or would there be other underlying developments that would cause my mind to become deluded and stray from the topic at hand...


_**Stop Me**_

_**Based off of the song "Stop Me" by Yucat on youtube.**_

I could see it. We all could... It's what lead to the departure of our other two friends and teammates. Though.. I couldn't give up on him. I couldn't just walk away like the other two, I had to make sure he didn't do anything that he would regret in the future. I had to keep him stable. I had to.. I had to be his starlight as he so called me some nights in his drunken stupor. How he obtained alcohol was something I'd rather not question - But he always managed after a 'victory.' Though why do I say victory in such a sarcastic way? Sure everyone knew of Team Satisfaction, we had a reputation and at first these victories that Kiryu spoke of were legitimate and I could see the odd indulgent... However now it just seemed as an excuse to drink.

Jack was no longer here to be the brute force, Crow was no longer here to join in and cause a fool of himself - And me? I never saw the point of intoxication. I never did anything about it either though, I simply sat back silent secretly inside wishing he would stop. He would tell me to 'loosen up' and it came to a point where I had actually snapped on him. I still remember it as if it were yesterday... Sad thing is I can't even keep track of the days anymore so it may very well have been.

_"Kiryu! You've had enough!" I shouted as I snatched the bottle from his hands. _

_"Loosen up already! I've only had like five sips!" He argued back as he went to try and grab the bottle from me. _

_"No! You don't need to be constantly indulging like this!" I quarreled back - Which was my own undoing when that familiar menacing smirk crawled upon his face - Though it wasn't of the usual nature he held towards me this time he bit back with his own anger;_

_"I'll do whatever the hell I want and you can't stop me! Not you! Not Crow! Not Jack! Not security! Not anyone!" _

_"You're not getting this bottle back Kiryu! Now snap out of it! You need to sober up!" What happened next shocked me most though... I was use to his drunken state nickname however the thing I wasn't use to was tears. Kiryu never ever shed a tear unless it was serious._

_"Starlight, you're not being very bright tonight." He smirked as he sang his sentence to me leaning in close as I gulped and admittedly grimaced from the alcohol which still lingered on his breath. Though as he reached for the bottle I couldn't stop him I could only blink in my perplexed state of mind as little trickles of tears dripped down his cheeks. _

_"Stop me." He whispered as he grabbed the bottle and leaned back slugging back the liquid as if nothing were wrong once more._

That was the first breaking point I had seen from Kiryu... In a genuine way anyways.

I sighed as I leaned against the rickety structure we had left of a building to call our base and home. The sun was setting and Kiryu was out and nowhere near in sight. I was beginning to worry he wasn't thinking straight, I knew he wasn't and it caused me to keep a closer eye on him more frequently. As per usual I made my way around the area to try and find him only to my horror as I found him straddling a gang member on the ground, knife in hand ready to slice the man into two.. or possibly three... or four... or many more. Though I wasn't about to let that chance happen.

"Kiryu!" I shouted as I ran up to the scene and smacked the blade from his hand to the ground. "Are you crazy?!" It was a rhetorical question, although when he looked back up to face me the eyes I found could make the rhetorical question not so rhetorical.

"He deserved it Yusei! He deserves it! Do you know what this bastard did? Do you?!"

"No I don't Kiryu but he doesn't deserve death! No one does! Now get off him before you land yourself in the Detention Center!" A scoff as he got up, spitting on the man below him.

"Beat it." The gang member looked up horrified only to scramble back before finally gathering the strength to stand and run off. However it didn't stop there for Kiryu, he simply smiled as he turned to me and rejoiced once more;

"Another victory Yusei! We'll have to have another toast tonight! To you and me! The strongest kings of Satellite!"

I frowned, anger which was bubbling to the surface from boiling blood took over me as a resounding slap cut through the silent air.

"Are you joking?! You almost killed a man Kiryu! Get a hold of yourself!" I found it odd, I felt terrible for hitting him, yet I had only slapped his face. I could punch Jack in the jaw no problem, but Kiryu? I couldn't possibly. A slap was all I could muster and even that caused my chest to tighten.

"You _**dare**_ hurt your leader?! What kind of comrade are you?!"

"The one who's trying to get you to come to your senses! Kiryu come on! You surely can't be this blind! You almost killed a man with your own hands!"

"Starlight... You overreact... He's just lucky my boyfriend came and saved his sorry ass."

I froze. He had called me that name once more... He wasn't drunk... Or so I was aware. But then he called me his... His...

"Boyfriend?" I repeated. The new title sounding foreign as it left my mouth, yet sent my chest into knots and a weird sort of tingling sensation. What was this strange excitement? It was almost as if I were in a life threatening duel once more with a rival gang member... But it felt warmer... More safe... More secure and more gratifying.

"You're a dense one aren't you Yusei... You of all people with your constant prattling on of bonds I thought you would get the hint first, but I guess not." A step forward as he latched onto me whispering in my ear; _"You're the only one I have left that I can rely on. If this title will make you stay then I'll call you it all day."_

My body couldn't move I was frozen stiff yet I was swallowing lumps down my throat as if there were no tomorrow and my chest wouldn't stop tingling while my stomach decided to do some sort of internal tango with my digestive track. "K-Kiryu. I-... We're friends not boyfriends."

He eased off, stood up and shook his head before flicking my nose. "I know you like it. Now settle down it's not as if we're getting married."

"But our bond is-" I tried to defend as he cut me off once more;

"So young and naive... I thought I taught you well Yusei, apparently I still have some more teaching to do."

"More? But I've already learnt so much. Dueling, fighting, survival... You've taught me so many things already Kiryu what more can you teach me?" I was confused. What else was there needed to be taught? I had all the life skills I needed. He shook his head as he placed a hand on his hip shifting his weight to the side.

"You're so clueless. I really have to teach you before you go off and find someone who really makes your heart flutter. It's simple admiration with me."

"Kiryu... I don't get what you're saying. You're going to have to be more clear." He continued to baffle me, but as he walked closer and our lips met my eyes went wide. Was one of my best friends really kissing me? This was how my first kiss was going to go? It certainly wasn't how I had imagined it... Well I really hadn't given it much thought but I had at least thought it would have been with the opposite gender... With someone other than Martha. He backed off though and smirked his usual way as he spoke in the softest voice I had heard yet;

_"Love."_

I blinked, shocked and unaware but my chest tingled and I could feel the temperature rising in my face. My stomach was nothing but settled and his teasing only made it worse as he scoffed;

"Someone needs to realize they're in love with their leader. Though you'll soon realize it's simple admiration."

He confused me to such a degree. This was his way of helping to teach me? By kissing me?

Though... As the days went on it wasn't only kissing. It was touching and being closer than we'd ever been and the little noises that left my mouth from him kissing other places such as my neck were even a shock to me. I didn't even know I could make such noises... Yet my head was swimming and I couldn't think straight. Kiryu told me it was normal as I voiced what I was feeling... This strange sickening euphoria.

I started to pay less attention to his strange behavior and craved more on the good behavior or his so called 'teaching' methods of love. It wasn't until he had another not so brilliant idea that I had finally parted ways from him telling him we couldn't be together anymore.

It was for the best.

Or so I thought... I thought he would stop his delusional plan but he didn't and I wrestled him on the ground trying to stop him.

I tried to say I was the leader of Team Satisfaction but that backfired to only years later did I see him... In a state I wish I hadn't.

In a state I wish he had believed me.

In a state where I didn't have to duel him to... To the death... Or rather 'disappearance' in my arms. But it wasn't until then I truly understood his lessons and I think he truly understood his own lessons because at that moment there I wish I had stopped him sooner, I wish I hadn't let his lessons delude my mind, but there is only so much wishing we can do. I should have stopped him sooner... But then maybe then we wouldn't have known our true feelings for each other because even in that moment... That moment when I held him and looked into his eyes before he disappeared I knew that he knew as well it was nothing but simple admiration.

It was... As he so slyly whispered to me that day...

_Love._


End file.
